Georgia Bulldogs Tackle Latest Challenge to Win SEC Championship
Georgia tight end Oscar Delp (4) celebrates with running back Trevor Etienne (1) after Etienne’s game-winning touchdown against Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton fights through Texas tacklers in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Georgia’s Arian Smith (11) is tripped up after a catch against Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
ATLANTA — Met with challenges all year, Georgia’s football team never said die.
The theme continued Saturday, as the No. 5 Bulldogs got the horrid taste of last year’s SEC Championship Game loss out of their mouth, beating No. 2 Texas in a 22-19 overtime thriller.
Trevor Etienne rushed for a game-winning four-yard score in the free period, clinching the title despite quarterback Carson Beck missing the entire second half with an injury. Beck completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards, before replacement Gunner Stockton threw for 71 yards and an interception.
After Bert Auburn’s 32-yard field goal gave Texas a three-point lead in overtime, Stockton was knocked out of the game after an eight-yard rush on Andrew Mukuba’s helmet-jarring tackle. Beck re-entered to hand the ball off on Etienne’s game-winning score.
“(Gunnar) played incredible,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “The players believe in Gunnar. They love Gunnar. The juice that he brought gave us an added boost of energy. Our team was fired up. They were trying to keep him composed, and I thought the offensive staff did a good job helping Gunnar out with the way they called the game. … This team never, ever says no.”
Thankfully for the Bulldogs, a three-week rest is coming, as they clinched a bye in the brand new 12-team College Football Playoff — they will be the No. 2 seed and will await the winner of No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana. Beck’s injury, which occurred on the final play of the first half, has a chance to heal before Georgia’s next game.
“Yeah, he’s got an upper extremity injury,” Smart said. “We don’t know to what extent. Basically, we looked at it there, and it looked okay. But he couldn’t have grip strength and throw the ball in the locker room. So it was a little bit painful for that. So we need to find out exactly what’s going on and have an MRI and look into it.”
For Texas, which earned a No. 5 seed and a matchup with Clemson in the playoffs, Quinn Ewers completed 27 of 46 passes for 358 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions for Texas (11-2), which fell to Georgia for a second time. Ewers was sacked six times, as Mykel Williams tallied two, while Warren Brinson, Jalon Walker, Chaz Chambliss and Damon Wilson II each recorded a takedown in the backfield. The Longhorns will appear in their second straight CFP.
“This stings,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “But we get a chance to regroup in a couple weeks and get into the College Football Playoff and go compete for a national championship. I think we’re plenty good enough to go win that.”
Trailing 6-3 at halftime, Georgia took its first lead on a 10-play, 75-yard drive, stamped with Etienne’s 10-yard rushing touchdown. After each team traded punts, Auburn missed a 51-yard field goal at the 4:56 mark of the third quarter.
Peyton Woodring’s 24-yard field goal then gave Georgia a 13-6 lead. Texas responded with its first touchdown, a 41-yard game-tying pass from Ewers to DeAndre Moore at the 13:54 mark of the fourth quarter.
Georgia’s following drive was prolonged by a successful fake punt on 4th and 5 from its own 30, as Arian Smith took a pitch from Drew Bobo for nine yards. Nate Frazier’s runs of 15 and and 14 yards set up the Bulldogs on Texas’ four-yard line, where Woodring’s 20-yarder gave Georgia a 16-13 lead with 4:32 remaining.
Sparked by the fake punt, Smart was happy this one worked out for him. Smart called for an unsuccessful fake in the 2018 SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama.
“I’ve got some history of fake punts in this building, so I’m glad this one went our way,” Smart said. “It gave us a little juice and we had lost some momentum at that point. … It’s a lot easier to call that play when you’re going to be in the playoffs either way.”
On 3rd and 17 in the ensuing drive, Ewers was picked off by Daylen Everette on Georgia’s 29-yard line, but Stockton gave it right back with an interception by Jahdae Barron with 2:30 left. Aided by defensive pass interference, Texas advanced to Georgia’s 14. Auburn then tied the game with a 37-yard field goal with 18 seconds left.
On the game’s first drive, Ewers was intercepted by Everette at Georgia’s 35-yard line.
After Georgia’s three-and-out, Texas’ nine-play, 64-yard drive was stamped with Auburn’s 41-yard field goal with 5:17 remaining in the opening quarter.
Following another Georgia punt, Texas doubled its lead on Auburn’s 42-yarder with 10:22 left in the second quarter.
After missing last year’s playoff, Georgia enters this season’s postseason bracket with a chip on its shoulder.
“We’re beat up, we’re tired, we’re mentally fatigued,” Smart added. “But I don’t know if I’ve ever had a more mentally tough team. They just keep coming, keep coming. They never say die.”
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Scenes from Georgia's victory over Texas in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on December 7, 2024. (Photos: Jim Bl…
